A Cornucopia of Sweets

Add a bountiful dessert table to your Thanksgiving feast

Thanksgiving dinner calls to mind roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes, rolls and cranberries. But the holiday meal wouldn’t be the same without a variety of pies and pumpkin desserts.

My friend, chef Michel Richard, who started his career as a pastry chef, was once asked if dessert is necessary.

“I guess I would call dessert a necessary luxury or maybe a luxurious necessity,” he said.

While each family has their traditional Thanksgiving menu, desserts often change. This year, try some new ideas to provide a sweet ending for the holiday.

Early versions of pumpkin pie treated pumpkins like apples — they were sliced and sometimes sautéed with herbs and spices. I have included two of my favorite pumpkin pie recipes: One is a nondairy version that is similar to the traditional pudding type; the other, Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, is much lighter, but I always use the same pie crust for both.

Children will love the Frosted Pumpkin Cookies, and my family always looks forward to my Pumpkin Date Nut Bread, Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Pumpkin Fritters. The recipe for the Pumpkin Flan, which is nondairy, is from a friend, Meryl, who shared it with me many years ago.

Finally, it would not be Thanksgiving without a Chocolate Pecan Pie. (You can find this recipe and the Pumpkin Fritters recipe at tribejournal.com.)

Each of my recipes has a story and is a reminder of someone who has touched my life or shared their recipe with me. For a special treat, ask your guests to contribute to the dessert table and ask them to bring the recipe to share.

SWEET PASTRY DOUGH PIE CRUST

Combine flour, salt and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine until mixture is crumbly. Blend in water until the dough begins to come together. Do not over-mix. Knead dough into a ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

On two large overlapping sheets of floured waxed paper, roll pastry out to a round large enough to cover and overlap the edges of a 9-inch pie pan. For easier handling, cover the rolled-out pastry with another sheet of waxed paper and fold pastry in half. (The waxed paper in the center prevents the pastry from sticking together when folded.)

Lift the bottom sheet of waxed paper from the folded pastry, and place the pastry on half of the pie pan. Unfold the pastry to cover the entire pan, then remove the waxed paper that covers it. (At this point the pastry-lined pan can be covered with plastic wrap and foil and stored in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for several days.)

Before baking, bring the pastry to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spread a light coating of margarine on two sheets of waxed paper. Place one sheet, coated side down, inside the pastry, overhanging outside of pan. Repeat with second sheet, overhanging other side of pan. Fill center of the waxed-paper-lined pie shell with uncooked rice or pie weights.

Bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, until sides of pastry begin to brown. Carefully remove waxed paper with the rice; continue baking until bottom of the pastry is lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool completely.

Set pie plate in larger pan and add hot water (bain marie) until water comes halfway up side of pie plate. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Before serving, loosen sides of flan with knife, and invert onto serving plate. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.